Booker, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan SEEK HELP Act to Save Lives Amidst Overdose
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the Samaritan Efforts to Ensure Key Health Emergency and Life-saving Protections Act (SEEK HELP Act), a bipartisan bill that would provide limited legal protections to individuals who administer naloxone or other FDA-approved opioid reversal drugs to save a life in the event of an overdose. The bill also directs federal government resources towards raising public awareness about these life-saving protections.
Drug overdose deaths in our nation have continued to soar to unprecedented levels, exceeding 112,000 for the first time within a 12-month span in 2023. Research has shown fear of police involvement and the possibility of facing criminal charges is cited as one of the most common reasons people avoid calling 9-1-1 to get assistance when they experience or witness a drug overdose. To address this problem, over 40 states have enacted Good Samaritan laws to provide limited criminal immunity to those who call emergency assistance to save an overdose victim. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), these laws have been effective in curbing overdose deaths, but their impact is limited due to lack of public awareness. There is currently no federal Good Samaritan statute or substantial government investment in raising awareness about these laws.
The SEEK HELP Act would fill this void and bring our nation one step closer to ensuring that no American dies simply because they or their loved ones are afraid to seek help…
The SEEK HELP Act would:
- Grant protections against federal prosecution for simple drug possession and violations of supervised release to individuals who seek emergency assistance during a drug overdose;
- Provide protections against civil liability for individuals who administer an FDA-approved opioid reversal drugs during a drug overdose;
- Allow DOJ Byrne JAG funds to be used to train law enforcement personnel in assisting individuals during drug overdoses;
- Require the Secretary of HHS to conduct a public awareness campaign on Good Samaritan Laws;
- Permit existing federal block grants to be used by states to promote awareness of their respective Good Samaritan Laws; and
- Require a comprehensive GAO study on the impact of Good Samaritan Laws and the implementation of the SEEK HELP Act.
The SEEK HELP Act is endorsed by the following organizations: Americans for Prosperity, Association of Prosecution Attorneys, Due Process Institute, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, National District Attorneys Association, R Street Institute, and Vera Institute…
“The R Street Institute supports the SEEK HELP Act in its efforts to increase the public’s awareness of Good Samaritan laws and are encouraged by the bill’s inclusion of federal immunity protections,” Mazen Saleh, Policy Director, Integrated Harm Reduction at R Street Institute. “We hope state laws follow suit. Immunity should be the default, not the exception.”
To read the full text of the bill, click here.